Play Cribbage Online

Overview

Cribbage is a classic card game where players try to be the first one to get 121 points. Cribbage is played by 2 to 5 people, and is really popular in the United States and the United Kingdom. The Cribbage board is one of the most iconic things in Cribbage, but at CardzMania we don't currently have one as the number of players could go upto 5 and the points can also be changed which is not supported by any standard cribbage board.

Ranking of Cards

Kings are high and Aces are low.

Aces are worth 1 point. Cards 2 through 10 are worth their pip value. Face cards are worth 10 points.

The Deck and the Deal

The dealer passes out six cards face down for the other player and themself. The non-dealer can either cut the deck and select the top card from the remaining deck or they can draw a random card in any other way. This is called the starter card and it is placed face up on top of the remaining deck. Both players then discard two of their cards and place them face down to the side of the gameplay area to form the crib. With 3, 4, and 5 players, the dealer deals five cards to each player and everyone discards 1 card for the crib. The game then proceeds in the following three rounds: Peg, Counting, and Crib.

How to Play

Peg Round

The non-dealer plays one of their cards. The dealer then plays one of their cards. This continues as players try to win points through various combinations with the cards played. Once the pip value of the played cards reaches 31 points, the sequence is reset. Remember, ace counts as one point.

Players can earn points in the following ways:

• Fifteen or Thirty-One: Making the total count 15 or 31 gets you 2 points
• Pairs: Making a pair (pair royal) gets you 2 points; subsequently, a three of a kind (triplet) is 6 points and a four of a kind (double pair royal) is 12 points
• Sequence / Run / Straight: A sequence of three or more cards (consecutive value cards e.g. 7, 8, 9 also known as a run or a straight) is worth the amount of cards in that sequence
• Last Card: If you can't play a card to keep the total count under 31, you can say 'Go' which is essentially passing, whoever places the last card on the pile scores 1 point
• His Heels: If the starter card is a Jack then the dealer gets 2 points; this is called a heel, traditionally referred to as 'two for his heels'

Once all of the cards are played, the counting round starts.

Counting Round

The non-dealer begins by using the starter card with their hand to make as many combinations as they can to win points. After the non-dealer finishes with their hand, the dealer does the same.

Players can earn points in the following ways:

• Fifteen: Each unique combination of cards that gets you 15, is worth 2 points
• Sequence / Run / Straight: A sequence of three or more cards is worth the amount of cards in that sequence
• Pair: Making a pair gets you 2 ponts; subsequently, a three of a kind is 6 points and a four of a kind is 12 points
• Flush: Four cards of the same suit gets you 4 points; Five card flush gets you 5 points
• His Nobs: Having a Jack of the same suit as the starter card gets you 1 point; this is called a nob, traditionally referred to as 'one for his nobs'

Crib Round

The dealer picks up the crib and uses those four cards with the starter card to make as many combinations as they can.

The ways to earn points are the same as the Counting round.

After the hands and the crib are scored, the dealer position switches, cards are shuffled and players repeat the three rounds until someone gets 121 points.

Winning

The player who reaches 121 points first wins the game. The counting stops as soon as someone reaches 121 points so the order of points accumulation matters and the first person to reach 121 points wins the game.

Variations

We support several customizable rules and options so you can play Cribbage exactly how you like or how you grew up playing with your friends and family. In addition to the classic way of playing, we often have new creative options for you to try to spice up the game if you are interested in trying different spins for fun.

Points

Players determine a set amount of points when the game ends.

Rounds

Players determine a set amount of rounds (also known as hands or deals) that the game will go to (instead of the points selection above).

Timer

Players only have a set amount of time to make their turn after which a turn is automatically played for them and the game proceeds: Fast is 7 seconds, Standard is 15 seconds, Slow is 30 seconds, and Very Slow is 60 seconds. Players can also choose to disable the timer, but that is only for private tables.

Continue Pile

Players can continue the pile after 31. This would mean that the last cards on the discarded pile will help contribute to the new pile for points. For example, somebody could score a pair if they match the card that made the pile 31.

Card Game Basics

A deck of cards consists of 52 cards, with 4 distinctive subgroups. Each of these subgroups is recognised by a symbol and are referred to as suits. They consist of Clubs, Spades, Hearts and Diamonds. Each suit contains 13 cards which, generally, are considered in this order, Ace (A), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jacks (J), Queen (Q) and King (K). Some games include the two Jokers found in a standard deck but most games don't.

Solitaire Games

As the name implies, Solitaire games are typically games that one can play alone. Solitaire begins by building a grid of cards called a Tableau. The Tableau, or Cascade, is a set of 7 piles of overlapping cards. The first pile has 1 card, the second pile has 2 cards, and so on. Only the bottom card in each pile is facing upward. The remaining deck forms the discard and draw piles. The goal of solitaire games is to move cards from the tableau, discard, and draw piles into four suited piles (called the foundations) in ascending order (Ace to King).

Trick Taking Games

Trick Taking games center around having the highest ranked card in a draw. Typically, players of trick taking games sit in a circle, sometimes in teams and sometimes playing solo, and are dealt a hand of cards. Given the specific game's card ranking (and trump), players draw a card from their hand in hopes that it outranks the other cards played. The player who outranks the others wins the trick for that round and gameplay is repeated until the cards are exhausted. Typically the player or team with the most tricks wins the game.

Rummy Games

Rummy games are typically played in teams of two where players try to play their cards, or meld them, in groups of a kind or in sequences of a suit. Rummy games often contain the joker and wildcards (Ace and 2) to help make melding easier. Depending on the type of meld made, teams receive a certain number of points. After a player lays off all of their cards, the game ends and the team with the most points wins.

Betting Games

Betting games typically center around having the highest ranked hand in a group of players. Before the hands are dealt, betting games normally require an ante, or an initial bet that starts the pot, or the winner's prize. After receiving their cards, players make bets over who has the highest ranked hand. Players do not need to bet according to their real hand; they can bluff, or lie, in hopes that other players fold from the game rather than challenge their hand. Either the last player betting or the player with the highest hand between the last players betting, wins the pot of bets.

Climbing Games

Climbing games typically center around players getting rid of their cards as fast as they can. Each climbing game has its own rules for discarding cards and its own implications for getting rid of your cards first. Some games run on a points system where the player who gets rid of their cards first gets the most points. Other games run on a ranking system where the player who gets rid of their cards first is in a better position for the next round.

Classic Games

Classic games vary to a great degree in terms of rules and objectives. A thread that binds them all is their simplicity and age. Classic games are typically easy enough for young children to play them and have typically been around for many years.

Feedback

Would like to discuss new features or variations for Cribbage? Need a custom rule? Have a question? Got a suggestion? Don't see a game you want to play? Please contact us by email, facebook or twitter - we really value your feedback and love hearing from all of you!

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